Mountain biker killed and friend injured by cougar during morning ride in Washington State

Two mountain bikers have been attacked by a cougar near Seattle, leaving one dead and the other injured.

Friends SJ Brooks, 32, and Isaac Sederbaum, 31, were attacked by the animal during a morning ride on a trail in Washington State on Saturday.

Mr Brooks was killed in the attack, while Mr Sederbaum was flown to hospital where he is said to be in a stable condition.

Authorities said the pair did everything right in the situation but the cougar continued with its attack.

After the attack, the cougar was found up a tree near the dead man’s body, where agents for the state’s Fish and Wildlife police shot and killed it.

Authorities say the cougar initially attacked him before running away. Moments later, it returned with deadly results.

When initially faced with the animal, the pair shouted and tried to scare it away. When it charged, one of the men hit the cougar with his bike, causing it to run off.

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But the cougar then returned to continue its attack, biting one biker, Mr Sederbaum, on the head and shaking him. When the second cyclist, Mr Brooks, ran, the animal dropped the first victim and pounced on him, killing him and dragging his body back to its den.

“They did everything they were supposed to do,” said Sgt. Ryan Abbott of the King County Sheriff’s Office.

“But something was wrong with this cougar.”

The attack happened on North Bend, in the Cascade Mountain foothills 30 miles east of Seattle.

Officials said the animal was underweight – about 100lbs (45kg) – when a typical three-year-old cougar would weight up to 180lbs (81kg).

“He jumped the first victim and attacked him,” said Sgt Abbott,

“The second victim turned and started to run away. The cougar saw that and went after the second victim. The first victim saw his friend being pulled by the cougar. He got on his bike and started to bike away.”

The injured man rode for about two miles before getting mobile phone coverage and calling 911.

Sgt Abbott said when rescuers arrived it took them about 30 minutes to locate the second victim, who was dead with the cougar standing on top of him.

“The deputies shot at him and spooked him, and he ran off,” he said.

It took several hours before authorities found the cougar up a tree 50 to 200 yards away and killed it.

While the cougar was being hunted, rescuers had to wait to retrieve the dead man’s body.

Rich Beausoleil, the state’s bear and cougar specialist, said it was only the second fatality in the state in the last 94 years. “But it’s one too many,” he said.

Cougars, also known as mountain lions and pumas, are a protected species. Each year, the state allows 250 cougars to be hunted and killed in 50 designated zones.